SANGSAD BHABAN, May 6, 2024 (BSS)-Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdur Rahman today said the production of Hilsa fishes exceeded 5.71lakh tonnes.

“The Hilsa production was 2.99 lakh tonnes in 2008-09 fiscal year while it is now reached to 5.71 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23 fiscal due to appropriate initiatives taken by the present government”, he said.

The minister told this while responding to a written question which was raised by Independent lawmaker Pankaj Nath at the question-answer session at the Jatiya Sangsad here.

Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury chaired the session.

In 2008-09, he said country’s Hilsa production was only 2.99 lakh metric tonnes and it now reached to 5.71 lakh metric tonnes.

To raise the Hilsa production, the minister said the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken various steps including increasing the quantity of rice for the fishermen under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) project.

The monthly allocation of the VGF rice has been increased to 40 KGs from the earlier allocation of 10 KGs. 

So, the country’s Hilsa output has reached to 5.71 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23 fiscal year.